Leicester City FC coach Claudio Ranieri is set to make a £5 million bonus if his club goes on to win the Barclay’s Premier League. Leicester are just three points away from the league title in what has been a fairytale season for the club, and a win against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday would see the Foxes wrap up the Premier League with just two matches to go.
Having just escaped relegation the season before, Leicester understandably inserted several get-out clauses into Ranieri’s contract in case the club were to go down. But the Italian had some clauses of his own to insert, with one of them being a £5 million payment if he were to win the Premier League. He currently earns £1.5 million a year
The clause wasn’t the only one inserted by the 64-year-old, however, with Ranieri also inserting a separate clause which would see him rewarded with £100,000 for every place that his team finishes above 18th.
While the initial target for the club was to avoid relegation, Ranieri said he always believed the side could win the league, and that his players were at fault if they didn’t insert a clause of their own.
“I don’t know if there is a clause [for the players] and I don’t tell you,” he said.
“They made a mistake if they didn’t arrange it. I considered the thought of us winning the league.”
While they may not have inserted a league winning clause into their own contracts, the Leicester players are also set to benefit from the teams fairytale season.
According to The Times, it was agreed last summer that Leicester’s players would share a £6.5 million bonus if they finished 12th or above, with each player receiving £9,500 towards their bonus each time they’re named in the match day squad. The players are also set to receive £3,000 for each win. While the Football Association does not allow clubs to change their bonus structure during the season, it is believed that Leicester is looking for a way to reward its players further.
Sitting seven points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, a win at Old Trafford on Sunday would see Leicester become the first club since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78 to become first-time champions.
While three draws in their final three games would also do the job, Leicester can also win the title this week if Chelsea manage to beat Tottenham.
